Victim's finger severed in snatching of purse

November 09, 2005

SOUTHWEST SIDE — Police say they are looking for a bald man with gold teeth who has robbed two women after sideswiping their cars this week, severing one of the victim's fingers as he yanked her purse away.

Both attacks occurred in the Chicago Lawn District on the Southwest Side. The suspect is described as a light- to medium-complected black man in his late-20s to mid-30s. He is missing several teeth, and has several gold teeth and a medium build.

On Sunday, the man ripped the purse from a 74-year-old woman, taking off her fingertip in the process, police said. That robbery happened in the 5300 block of South Mayfield Avenue.

On Monday, the man followed a 42-year-old woman out of a grocery store, sideswiped her car in the 5700 block of South Merrimac Avenue, and stole her purse, police said.